Forbidden?
by mrsDEC
Summary: Up sees the girl for the first time and falls in love with her before he even knows it! Their relationship from first days of the Academy to later in life! FLUFF! Rated M for later chapters.
1. When Blue Met Brown

**Author's Note: **

**Hey guys! This is my first fanfic so I hope it's ok! Reviews are the best! Feel free to PM me any time! :) Thanks so much for reading!**

It was the first day of school at the Starship Ranger Academy. Lieutenant Up had heard there was a new recruit coming in to train in combat: a person he rescued from the robot attack down on Earth.

The strangest part of it all was that this new recruit was a girl, much smaller than the first-year ensigns and a year younger than all of the intakes. There were tons of rumors flying around, because of her strange past and relationship with the best commander the Academy had ever seen. Tragically, the robots, in their merciless rampage, killed the commander and most of the other people in the neighborhood.

When Up came to rescue survivors from the robots, he saved this girl. He barely had time to see her face, streaked with dirt, sweat and blood, before he handed her over to the other Rangers and went back to save more lives.

He wondered what she _really_ looked like and waited with bated breath as she got off the ship.

Taz knew she wanted to be a Starship Ranger from the age of seven. So, as the ship pulled in to unload, she felt like her dreams were finally coming true. Her mamá had always said she should find a nice boy, and get married someday, have children.

But that was not Taz's opinion.

_Who needs de chicos when I have all of dis? When I can be a Starship Ranger? _ Nothing else mattered. Taz set her mind to avoid boys all together. It only complicated things a little when she stepped out of the ship, and saw all the assembled commanders, lieutenants, and ensigns, but had her awed gaze met and matched by the clear blue eyes of Lieutenant Up.

Up's jaw hit the floor when he saw her. She was the most attractive person he had ever seen! Her dark hair, cut short, flopped gracefully over the red bandana she had tied around her head. She was tiny, much too small for the Ranger suit she was given. Her lips looked soft and were twisted in a smile. Up's heart skipped a beat when he looked into her eyes. They were warm chocolate brown, and reflected her joy. Despite her happiness, he could see the guarded look as well. He knew she had seen terrible things, and had too many painful experiences to be immediately friendly.

Up heard the Ambassador read off the names of the intakes, and laughed softly when the girl stopped him from reading her name off the list. She then said, with a thick Spanish accent, "_Mi nombre_ is Taz. I do not go by any other. Deal with it."

_Taz_, he thought. What a great name. Up could tell already that she was passionate about her goals, and would not let anybody get in the way.

Each intake under 16 was assigned a mentor higher up in the ranks to help them. Up held his breath when the Ambassador read out the names of the young intakes and their mentors.

"Intake name will be read first, then the mentor they have been assigned to. First, Intake Thomas–Lieutenant Dean

Intake Trevor– Lieutenant Neville

Intake Taz–Lieutenant Up…"

More names followed, but Up was too busy freaking out to listen. _Taz? Taz is mine? I get to be with Taz? What? This can't be real. This isn't happening. Dreams don't come true. But wait! What if she hates me? What if she doesn't want to be around me? And what if she DOES? Oh dead-god. _

Thoughts like this continued to run through Up's head as Taz scanned the crowd, looking for a signal from her mentor. Up finally realized she was looking for him, raised his hand, and waved her over. She smiled in relief, and then began to worry.

_Dios mio! Why did I get the caliente lieutenant as my mentor? I can't like him! Jou cannot have a relationship between ranks! What are jou talking about? Señor Up will not like jou! Just act natural. Está bien._

Taz finally reached Up and they made eye contact, blue to brown. Up blushed and looked away briefly, but stuck out his hand and introduced himself. They took a tour of the Academy, and ended at Taz's room.

"Well okay then, Taz, this here's your room. It has some voice knowin' thing so only certain people can open up the door. I already put my voice in it just in case you ever need anythin'. My room is right next-door and there's a door inside connectin' em. Come on over any time. I'll be in my room now." Up shuffled away awkwardly and went into his room.

Taz opened the door and walked slowly into her room. The bed was huge, and took up one wall. It sat next to a tall chest of drawers that was empty besides a strange blue headband and a book about something called Quidditch. Taz assumed someone else had left the items behind, but she was interested, so she put them in the bottom drawer. There was a door leading to a bathroom, a small kitchen area, and a couch facing a flat screen television. There was another door, less noticeable, that Taz assumed led to Up's room.

It was getting close to lights out when Taz realized she had nothing to wear to bed. She made a decision to just sleep in a tight, too-small tank top and her underwear, assuming that no one would see her. Exhausted from a day full of excitement, she fell asleep.

The nightmare came back. She was running, trying to escape the robots. People she loved, her parents, her siblings, her friends, were getting vaporized before her eyes. She could hear them screaming, but she couldn't move fast enough to save them. Taz was crying, screaming at the robots, but they wouldn't let her go.

The dream was interrupted when a firm but gentle hand grabbed her shoulder and lightly shook her awake. In the dark, she could see the muscled outline of Up, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay there Taz? I could hear you yellin' from my own room!"

Taz took a shaky breath and explained what had happened. Taz was wary at first, but felt that she could trust Up, that he would never tease her or call her awful names or beat her up. She felt safe for the first time in years.

In recounting the nightmare, tears flowed freely down Taz's face again. She was still curled up in her bed, with the covers pulled up to her chin. She tried to reassure Up that she would be fine, to keep up the strong and brave exterior, but her tears and still-trembling hands gave her away.

Up, who was only thinking about protecting Taz and helping her feel better, sat on the bed and put his arm around her shoulders. "Hey Taz…" He trailed off, suddenly second guessing himself. "Sí señor Up?" Her eyes, filled with curiosity, bore into his. He stuttered and stumbled over his words for a moment, but then began again. "Hey Taz… I was just wonderin' cause you seemed kinda scared, if you maybe wanted to come stay in my room for the night, so ya feel better?"

Taz was surprised, but his sincere care for her well being caused her to smile and nod timidly. Up grinned back, now relieved. "Well come on then Taz! Let's go!" She slid out of bed and stepped on to the floor, which was cold under her feet. She only realized the slightly inappropriate nature of her pajamas when Up faltered, blushed quickly, and clapped his hand over his eyes. Taz giggled at his gentlemanly nature, but pried his hand away from his face. "It is not a problema señor, I do not mind if jou see me like dis." He blushed further, but pulled his hand away and stared pointedly at a spot a few inches above her head. Taz laughed again and grabbed his hand.

The pair went into Up's room, which was nearly identical in decoration. Taz skipped over to his bed and climbed in. Only at this point did she notice Up's tight grey t-shirt and boxers. It was her turn to blush, but she simply stared at his massive outline until he turned in her direction. Up climbed in and curled up on the opposite side, facing away from Taz. She frowned slightly, but snuggled up to his warm back anyway.

"Up? How old are jou?" she wondered out loud. His mumbled reply meant he was nearly asleep, but Taz heard the answering "Twenty" clearly. _Hmm…_ she thought. _Five years isn't such a huge gap…_


	2. A Broken Hearted Situation

**Author's Note:**

**I still don't know if anyone is reading this, but I finished another chapter, so why not? I forgot to say it in the first Author's Note, but I own nothing. Except my cat. All rights for Starship go to the lovely Team Starkid, and any Harry Potter references or mentions belong to J.K. Rowling and her talented imagination.**

Taz woke up slowly, and was confused when she felt something heavy lying across her midsection. Her confusion mounted when she felt a warm _thing_ against her back, snuggled around her like a cocoon. She wasn't scared, though, and realized as her consciousness returned the reason for her calmness. The events of last night came flooding back with sudden force, and made her smile. She then realized that it was not just some _thing_ wrapped around her, but that it was Up's warm, muscled, and good-smelling body. She then recognized the taboo situation this put the two of them in with the rest of the Academy. Taz sighed heavily, but made no effort to move from Up's arms.

Up was roused from sleep by a small movement against his chest. It wasn't unpleasant and it made him curious to see what moved. He cracked one eye open to see Taz's sleep-mussed dark hair and small body curled beneath his arm on the bed. He shifted, pulling Taz closer to him than before. Up's chest was pressed entirely to her back, and she shuddered slightly out of pleasure.

The single shudder sent waves of pleasure through Up's body. This animalistic reaction made him pause. _This can't possibly be wrong! It feels so right… But she's still a teenager. I'm an adult! _

Taz was wide-awake now, shocked that her body had betrayed her to Up in such an obvious way. She could tell he was awake too, thinking hard about something. She moved around a little, finally turning over to face Up. He jumped, clearly not aware that she was no longer asleep. Realizing the situation they were now in, he toppled out of bed and hit the floor. He tried to recover quickly, but couldn't do anything with those chocolate eyes gazing happily into his own. He tripped over his words (as well as his feet) and finally managed a "good morning!"

Taz looked at him carefully, confused about his reaction. She recovered much faster than Up had though, a slight crease in her forehead the only thing that could give her away.

Up's awkward behavior persisted for years. As soon as he felt like he was getting too close to Taz, he would get clumsy and tongue-tied. Taz became so used to it that she thought it was normal. It still frustrated her to no end sometimes, because despite her tough, badass exterior, she was a girl with insecurities. _He must not want jou to get de wrong idea. He doesn't want jou to think dat he likes jou! That's why he pushes jou away all de time. But jou can't help it dat Up is so caliente! It is all Up's fault. Damn him!_

Despite Taz's frustration and Up's oblivious nature, the two remained the best of friends and were well known at the Academy for their supreme combat skills. Taz completed her third year at the academy without difficulty, and quietly turned eighteen three days before graduation. Up was the only one who knew, and she refused to accept any gifts. He pressed her, saying that it was important! She was coming of age! She was an adult now! But she refused more vehemently, intensity blazing in her eyes. Up knew at that point that she wouldn't back down, so he had to. They celebrated quietly, just watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on Up's couch and talking late into the night.

On graduation day, Up stood in the audience and cheered the loudest as Taz got her Starship Ranger badge. His heart sank, though, when he realized she would receive her assignment and commander in a few days. She might leave him! He couldn't bear the thought.

The day was supposed to be all smiles and congratulations for Taz. While on stage receiving her badge, the thought hit her that in a few days she might never see Up again. She held it together long enough to sit through the ceremony, but ran off immediately afterwards, not even waiting for Up.

Up watched Taz sprint out of the auditorium and disappear around a corner. He stood up quickly and ran after her. He checked every part of her room, but couldn't find her anywhere. He was about to give up when he heard the stream of Spanish curses and quiet sobs coming from behind the door connecting Taz's room to his own. Up knew immediately that it was Taz, but was slightly shocked and bewildered by the reason behind her tears.

A brilliant thought came to him so suddenly that he stumbled under the realization. _IT'S MY FAULT. Taz is crying because of me. Because of my stupid façade in an attempt to convince myself that I didn't care like that. But I do. I love Taz. I love her with every fiber of his being. _Up sighed in defeat for a moment, thinking of unrequited love, but realized that Taz wasn't a kid anymore. She was an adult, so they could do whatever they wanted. Up almost exclaimed with excitement but realized he should probably talk to Taz.

His stomach twisted into uncomfortable knots as he realized there might be another reason for Taz to cry. Up's fears of any other reason dissipated almost immediately as he opened the door to his room and saw Taz curled up on his side of the bed, clutching his pillow and crying softly, then swearing at herself for being such a wimp.

She heard the door and mumbled "go away" as Up approached her. He knew her too well to obey, and he climbed up next to her on the bed. She began to shift away, but Up snagged her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap. She struggled, but was weak from crying and soon resigned. Taz flopped back pathetically against Up's chest, unwelcome tears still rolling down her cheeks. It was all Up could do to not wipe them away, but he knew it wouldn't help anything.

So there they sat, Up trying to protect Taz's small frame from the world. Taz seemed to know what he was thinking, and sniffed once to momentarily collect herself. "Jou know what, Up? Jou may be trying to help, but jou can't protect me from jourself."

And then they lapsed back into silence.

Sleep came eventually, but the pair never moved from their positions on the bed.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! If you are reading, recommend to your friends! PM or review any time! Shout out to AlreadyOnMars for being awesome! :D**


	3. Confessions of a Starship Ranger

**A/N: Hey readers! I own nothing. Thanks to Team Starkid and J.K. Rowling! I did shift the rating down to T for now, but it will change back to M for later chapters!  
><strong>

**Also, I'm inferring that I will be able to post between one and three chapters a week, and feel free to yell at me if I don't! Sorry this took forever to write… sometimes the computer doesn't want to cooperate with my jumbled thought process. Anyway, Happy Reading! :D**

ooooooo

When Up opened his eyes the next morning, he silently thanked dead-God that there were no more early Academy classes for Taz to get to. His muscles, now awake as well, screamed in protest after remaining in such an awkward position all night. A swirl of emotions went through him as he thought of Taz. Concern, hope, trepidation, more hope, and love, pure and sweet. Up realized the position he was in, curled around Taz, and smiled gratefully that she was still asleep. She deserved whatever sleep she could get, because she was perfect. _Woah there Up, getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren't we? No. She IS perfect. There's nothing that will change that. She always has been. _

The slightest hint of panic edged its way into his mind as he thought about the discussion they would have today. Up's hesitance to move from his position and inability to fall back to sleep left him with seemingly endless hours to freak out about what Taz's reaction would be to what he was saying. He doubted that she would want to talk first, so he began to rehearse a speech in his head.

_Taz, I know we've been friends for about three years now, and we're kinda like best friends, but I gotta tell ya how I feel. I thought it was wrong to act on my feelings while you were still a kid and I was an adult, but now we are both adults and we can do what we want. What I'm sayin' is that I care about you, Taz, and I want–_

Up's inner monologue was cut short when Taz shifted, stretched, and whimpered softly in his arms. It was the cutest thing he had ever seen. She looked like a kitten! Taz's eyes finally fluttered open and Up realized they were still puffy and red from crying. He felt a surge of guilt for making her feel this way, and crushed Taz to his chest. She was bewildered for the reasoning, but glad for the expression of care, so she wound her arms around him in return.

As her grogginess wore off, Taz remembered what had happened last night. She knew the conversation would have to happen eventually, but was she ready? Yes. Of course she was! She had been waiting for this day since that nightmare on the first night at the academy. Butterflies erupted in Taz's stomach when she thought about Up's reaction…

_Will he kiss jou? Will he do dat thing dat he always does and comfort jou because he does not feel de same? Will he pretend jou didn't say anything? Dios muertes. What do jou do? Jou have to tell him. Jou thought dat if jou told him jou liked him it would make jou look like una idiota! But jou don't want to wait six books worth of de time to kiss him like Ron and Hermione! Jou gotta tell him._

Taz sighed angrily, burying her head in her hands, when she realized she was still in Up's lap. He was looking at her with a contemplative expression. It made her feel slightly uncomfortable to be under such close examination. The butterflies fluttered angrily.

She climbed out of Up's lap and off of the bed, deciding that if they were going to have this discussion, she would not have morning breath and sleep-wrinkled clothes. After reassuring Up that she _would _be coming back, Taz padded sleepily back into her own room. She brushed her teeth, changed into a pair of Up's gray sweatpants and a tight white tank top, and pulled a comb through her tangled hair.

Despite the need to have this conversation with Up, Taz moved as slow as possible when cleaning herself up. She finished too soon anyway. The butterflies went into a frenzy and Taz slumped o to her bed, staring at the ceiling.

Up sat in the other room, his mind racing. He heard Taz come out of the bathroom and stoop up. _Well, there's no time like the present!_

He knocked lightly on the connecting door and entered the room.

"Taz, I really need to talk to y–"

"Up, espera por favor. I need to talk to jou first. We have been amigos for tres years now. I am an adult. Jou are an adult. And I can't deal wit this for more tiempo. I know jou care, and I care too. But jou keep up de pushing and de hiding with jourself from me. Jou need to let me get close to jou! Yo quiero! And now I'm done wit de Academy, and jou might not be in my mission group, and I can't leave jou without telling jou la verdad. I want to be wit jou, Up. I want to wake up in de morning and see jou next to me and be happy dat jou are there. I care so much dat I would rather be wit jou then on de missions. I don't want to lose jou, Up. Jou are de most important person to me. I love jou, Up. I always have. Te amo."

Taz exhaled heavily, not realizing that she had been holding her breath. She glanced fearfully at Up, frozen in place halfway between the door and Taz's bed. His face was void of emotion.

"Up?" There was no reply. "Up, talk to me, por favor!" Still no reply.

Tears of frustration and rejection pricked in Taz's eyes, threatening to spill over. She had cried in front of Up before, but that was different. Now the tears were not because of something Up could talk through with her, or threaten with violence. Taz's tears were his own fault. She couldn't stand to show her weakness this time, and ran from the room as Up continued to stare blankly across the room.

Taz sprinted down the corridor, turned a corner, then a few more corners, and ended up in the dead end corridor where the Academy had once offered a cake-decorating class (Why _that_ seemed like a good idea, Taz didn't have a clue). It was there that she collapsed on to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest. _Idiota! Why did jou think dat Up could like jou, that he could LOVE jou? Jou are not worthy of him. Idiota!_

Up found himself sitting alone on Taz's bed, confused and frustrated, but overjoyed. Taz loved him. She _does _love him. But why did she run? _Well, I may have been in shock for a minute or two, there. Oh my dead-god! She musta thought I didn't recipromacate that sparkly feeling!_ Up leaped off the bed and flew out of the room. He had to find Taz!

Taz distantly heard running feet, but ignored them. When she heard Up's voice calling her name, her heart skipped erratically. She cursed at the feeling. She heard him yell again and answered with a "sí?". The footsteps got closer, and there was Up, out of breath but grinning widely.

Taz was baffled and slightly pissed off. _How dare he have a sonrisa like dat? Is he estupido? _ But the moment he stepped closer, her mind began to shut down, and her heart took over, pounding in a frenzied manner against her ribcage. Her breath got shallower with excitement. Up continued to slowly walk over to her. She took the time to appreciate his muscular figure, his calm and loving expression, and his gorgeous eyes.

He had the slightest hint of relief in his features, but Taz couldn't think anymore because Up had crushed his lips to hers, and they were kissing. Everything anybody had ever told her was erased from her mind. All she could think about were Up's soft lips moving gently but hungrily against her own. One calloused hand reached to grab Taz's waist and pull her closer, while the other softly twisted in the hair at the nape of her neck. Taz's arms were slung around Up's neck.

The two were so immersed in their kiss that they didn't hear the approaching footsteps. Junior rounded the corner in an apron, with mixing bowls, spoons, ingredients, and a recipe book labeled The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook gathered in his arms. He blushed furiously, but cleared his throat loudly.

Taz and Up leapt apart, startled by Junior's sudden appearance. Up tried to splutter an explanation, but Taz recovered faster. "What do jou _want_ Hunior? And why do jou have dat libro de cocinar?" Realization dawned and Taz giggled. "De veras? Really Hunior?"

"I'll have you know that what you two lovebirds were doing is against the rules. No relationships are permitted between ranks… And don't worry. I'll make _sure_ I tell the Ambassador." He sneered evilly, performing an uncanny impersonation of Severus Snape.

"Jou butt trumpet!" Taz exclained.

"And I'll have you know," muttered Junior defensively, "that I was going to make a _delicious _batch of Cauldron Cakes, which you won't get any of!" With that, he stomped towards the cooking room, tossing one last sneer at the stunned pair before slamming the door in their faces.

ooooooo

**A/N: Sorry that chapter kinda sucked at the beginning… I know I hate Junior too but he weaseled (haha Draco) his way into the story… **


	4. Damn That Hunior Kid

**A/N: Hey readers! Here's the next chapter… even I don't know where this is going… the story has a mind of its own! Thanks to J.K. Rowling and Team Starkid for their wonderful genius. I AM SOOOOO SORRY I HAVE NOT UPDATED IN SO LONG! Feel free to yell at me…**

**Reviews are great! They make me happier than Dumbledore with a Zefron poster! Soo… I know this is about Starship, but I must say that Glee was amazing this week. AHMAZING. Happy reading! **

**Soo… this is **_**almost **_**sorta kinda M but nothing **_**actually**_** happens so I'm leaving it at T for now.**

**XXXXXXX**

Taz and Up waited in quiet tension for the next few days, but that was at the back of their minds. The unsure future Junior's threat had created only made the now-couple grow closer together faster that before. They shared Up's or Taz's bed every night, and Taz woke up every morning snuggled against Up's chest, held tight by his strong arms.

Up had the best smell in the world. Taz loved to wake up surrounded by it. It was a mixture of the clean scent of laundry, the sweet smell of cut grass, and something fresh and musky that could only be described as _Up._

Four days after the Junior incident, Taz and Up laid in bed, kissing lazily. The minty taste of freshly brushed teeth lingered on Up's lips, and Taz smiled slightly through the kiss.

Taz moved closer, now pressed nearly completely against Up's warm figure. She shifted, brushing lightly against him, and shivers of pleasure made him shudder slightly.

The lazy kisses changed from sweet and chaste to hard, desperate, and passionate. Things began to get heated as Taz rolled on top of Up, never breaking the contact of their lips. The contact made her gasp, and Up took advantage, plunging his tongue into her open mouth. Taz welcomed this, but the pair froze when a sharp knock sounded on the door.

Up cleared his throat loudly and took a deep breath, but his voice still came out low and gravelly. "Uh–er–who's at the door there?"

A disciplined and formal, but girlish, voice responded from the other side of the door, in a slightly uncomfortable manner. "Good morning Commander. I was sent by the Ambassador to let you and Taz know that he demands your presence in his office in an hour. I knocked on Taz's door, but she–er–wasn't there… I *cough* assume she's with you then, Commander. Please pass on the message. That is all."

"Thank you heaps, Lieutenant Ruby, please let him know we will be there."

Ruby stayed on the other side of the door, whining. "_UP…_ you _said_ you would call me Fang! It's the name I want! I'm one tough bitch. _Pleeeeeeease?"_

Up sighed a little, but complied. "Thank you, _Fang_. See you around."

Taz unfroze and flopped back on to the bed, sighing heavily and running her hands through her tangled dark hair. Her face was determinedly happy, however.

Up was confused by Taz's expression, but could understand her sighing. He wrapped his arms around her again and smiled as she inhaled deeply. "We'll be okay, here, Taz. I won't be lettin' a single thing happen to us. We'll stick together, and fight through thick and thin. If you stay by my side, there ain't no way we can't win. I love you, Taz, I always have."

Taz giggled slightly, then snuggled into Up's chest. "I know, Up. Te amo. Siempre."

"I don't want you to get yourself ruined, Taz. I'll take the blame. Then you can still go on your missions and all, y'know?" Up opened his mouth to explain further, but Taz silenced him with a fierce and defiant kiss.

"If we go anywhere, Up, we go _juntos_. Together."

Eventually, the couple got out of bed and prepared to meet the Ambassador. The quiet tension became not-so-quiet tension as the condemning hour approached. In the last fifteen minutes before their meeting, they sat silently on the couch, staring unseeingly at the television, which remained off. Up's mind was blank, but Taz let hers wander.

_I wonder what life would be like if we were not allowed to go on de missions anymore…what would happen to us? We would get married, and have de bebes, and live de fairytale, and de happily ever after… Our wedding would be gigante and I would wear de big dress and say de "I do" and be in love… _Taz sighed happily and Up was startled out of his mental stupor.

"What're ya feelin' so happy about there, Taz?"

Taz shook her head quickly, a blush tinting her cheeks and embarrassment evident in her voice. "Oh… no es nada importante, Up."

Just as Up opened his mouth to protest, the alarm of his hologram clock buzzed. Up's heart began to race. Taz could tell, and she held his hand tightly, looked him in the eyes, and said "Up. I love jou. I don't care what happens here ahora as long as we are juntos."

Up tried to shake off his fear as he stood up, clutching Taz's hand to his chest. Together they hurried through the corridors of the Academy and to the impending doom of the Ambassador's office. The doors hissed and slid apart ominously. Taz strolled in as casually as she could, dragging Up behind her by the hand.

They stopped in front of the huge black-and-chrome desk in the middle of the room. The black high-backed chair spun around slowly to face them. The tension in the room was palpable. Up trembled and turned slightly to Taz, who face showed no emotion, only composure.

The ambassador's wrinkled, square-shaped face was expressionless, but soon morphed into a mask of stern reprimand. He spoke with an accent. "Well, you two know you screwed up, and I'm forced to punish you for it. I cannot allow you to get off unpunished. The two of you will be demoted to teaching level Rangers and will not go on any missions. You will teach in this position for seven years. Once again, I do apologize. But may I add that you two are in the same rank now, so relationships are not against the rules. You may leave now."

It was Up's turn to drag Taz away, out of the Ambassador's office and down the hall. She remained in her stupor until Up pulled her into the room, let the door hiss shut behind them, and pushed her gently against the wall, his lips immediately pressing against hers. She gasped slightly, inviting his tongue to plunder her mouth, running over her teeth and tasting sweetness he couldn't understand.


	5. Another Night, Then

**A/N: Just kidding guys, this was supposed to be smut, but it just turned out to be fluff and Harry Potter references… Hooray! Happy reading! Review review review! Oh yeah, I own nothing, thank Deadwizardgod for J.K. Rowling and Team Starkid!**

*******Have no fear; there will be smut eventually. **

**TUPTUPTUPTUPTUPTUPTUP**

Taz pushed Up down and crawled to hover over him. She took a deep breath and pulled at the buttons on Up's formal Ranger uniform, her fingers trembling the tiniest bit in anticipation and excitement. Up's closed eyes flew opened, surprised at her forwardness. He grabbed her hands and felt them shaking. Interpreting wrongly, he sat up and began to pull away.

Taz's eyes grew wide and her expression hurt and disappointed. A furiously embarrassed blush colored her cheeks. "You-you don't want to?" Her voice shook, rejection making her shrink away. As she motioned to get off the bed, Up grabbed her wrist gently, pulling her back to him and kissing her softly, trying to communicate all of his emotions through a single kiss.

She broke this kiss too soon, confusion and rejection lingering in her expression. Up was just as confused. And when he was confused, he rambled.

"Taz… are you uncomfortable with this? Because I thought you were when you were shaking and I didn't want to scare you or scar you or make you do anything you weren't ready for, and that's why I pulled away, but now you seem pretty sad and I'm just baffled because I thought I was helping and maybe I still freaked you out and now I'm still holding on to your wrist and you probably are even more scared and I'm probably too much older than you and you just didn't want to tell me and hurt my feelings and I feel really dumb and horrified at my delusional head and I'm acting just like Lavender Brown when Ron is obviously not in love with her but she keeps tryin to smooch him and this is out of control and I can hardly stop talking now and you probably just want to leave as soon as I let you go, but I love you, so I'm gonna let you go because that's what you do when you love someone… oh did I really just say that? Deadwizardgod you must be traumatized I am so sorry I will just be going now."

And with that, Up finally took a breath and swung his legs to the side of the bed. He chanced a look at the woman he loved, fearing her reaction. Taz was smiling now, so close to laughing that her face was scrunched up. Up opened his mouth to say something else but Taz leapt at him, kissing him deeply. Unable to hold in her amusement, however, she began shaking with laughter mid-kiss, and had to pull away to laugh out loud, harder than Up had ever made her laugh before.

Up was as confused as ever. "What's so funny?"

Taz simply shook her head, still smiling widely. Up shook his head and stood up, off the bed. "I'm goin' to take a shower now; in that meeting I was sweatin' like a pig in July. You can stay if ya want, there's some movies over there."

Up walked into the bathroom, unbuttoning the rest of his shirt as he went. Taz stretched on her tiptoes, trying to get a look at him, but the door clicked shut before she could see anything. _Damn._

Casually flicking through Up's DVDs, she noticed a musical called STARSHIP. _Hmmm…Is that where all those weird songs he sings come from? Should I even ask? Nah…_ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two caught her eye, and she grinned at the obsession they shared. Taz placed the disk in the DVD player and opened the disc to the main menu.

The minute Up heard the opening music, he flew out of the bathroom, hair mussed, with a white towel wrapped around his waist. Taz jumped and turned to face him, gasping loudly and then simply sitting on Up's couch, her mouth hanging open.

He was gorgeous. Up's young features were accentuated by his tan, toned body. As Taz watched, water dripped tantalizingly down his chest from his shoulder, snaking down the indents between the individual ab muscles and disappearing into the towel resting at his hips. Taz then realized she was staring at the towel, which barely covered what it was intended to. She swore quietly in Spanish–"mierda!"– and tried to look away.

It didn't work.

Taz's lips slammed against Up's so forcefully that he staggered backwards, his knees hitting the edge of the bed and forcing him to sit. Taz climbed onto his lap, and she found that she could kiss him much easier from the position she was in. _I guess everything IS better from on top of a lap!_ His lips slowed only minutely, but his mouth opened. Taz slipped her tongue in between his parted lips, and their tongues tangled lazily. Things began to get more exciting when Up leaned back onto the bed, Taz still attached to his lips. Taz put her hands out on either side of Up, only to hit the DVD player remote with one hand. The telltale music that preludes each Harry Potter movie blared through the surround-sound speakers.

Their kiss broke. One look into each other's eyes told them enough. "Another night, then." Taz rolled off of Up, kissing him once more and then bounding over to the couch where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were talking to Griphook at Shell Cottage. Up grabbed a pair of red plaid boxers and soft-looking blue pajama pants and retreated to the bathroom. He reentered the room seconds later.

The pair curled up together on the couch, Taz leaning against Up's muscled frame and smelling his soap-scented skin. She traced his stomach muscles absentmindedly, but nothing was going to happen tonight. Taz and Up laughed and cried and gasped at all the appropriate parts, basking in the loveliness of each other's company.

And honestly, what could have been better than a night of wholesome Harry Potter movies with the one you love?

**TUPTUPTUPTUPTUPTUP**

**A/N: What indeed.**

**Yes, there was an indirect promo for the Starship DVD in here. No it was not on purpose. Yes I AM getting it for Christmas! :D :D :D Send me lots of owls! Even a Howler or two if you feel the need… Special thanks to bornonhalloween if you're reading… your PM reply made my day!**

**Sidenote: I love Brant Cox. That is all.**


	6. To Love and Loss

**A/N: Hey readers! So it's been a couple days since the last update… I still don't know how many people are reading this, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE message me prompts! Also, do you guys WANT smut? Or is that just me? Or whatever. Let me know ASAP! Much love, and happy reading! *******Near the end there is a smidge of sexual harassment! Not rape, but kinda sorta closeish?*********

**I (sadly) still own nothing. At all. NADA.**

**TUPTUPTUPTUPTUPTUP**

Up cracked his eyes open and immediately squeezed them shut against the bright light of a "sunny" Saturday morning (you can only have artificial sun in the spacecraft). He felt something solid and warm against his chest and risked the light to see Taz's sleeping face smushed against his stomach.

Up's neck was cricked from falling asleep on the couch and protested painfully when he tried to right it on top of his shoulders. The Harry Potter menu was still playing in the background.

The artificial sun hit Taz's dark hair and glinted off of it. Her hair shone wonderfully. The uninterrupted-by-emotions expression on her face made Up grin like an idiot. She was _SO _beautiful. How did he get so lucky?

Taz's face, still in sleep, suddenly changed. Her brow furrowed and her lips turned into a scared sort of frown. She started to whimper uncomfortably, and then loud sobs filled the room. Tears splashed onto Up's bare chest and stomach.

Up, previously curious at her change in expression, was now stunned and afraid. He wrapped his arms around her and began gently rubbing her shoulder in an attempt to soothe or wake up or at least make her stop crying. He tried to whisper calming words, but his efforts were fruitless. She continued sobbing, clutching at unseen objects in her nightmare, while tears pricked in Up's own eyes.

Startled by his own reaction, Up began to rub furiously at his eyes. Despite his attempts, the tears rolled down his cheeks. The frustration at his inability to wake Taz up, the anger that he couldn't help her, and the agony_ he_ was feeling because of her unseen pain filled the tears that fell onto Up's chest, mixing with Taz's own.

Up slowly became outraged to the point that he shouted, tears still streaming. "SHE DOESN'T _DESERVE _THIS! SHE'S BEEN THROUGH _ENOUGH_, DEADGODDAMMIT!"

Only these shouts roused Taz from the nightmare. She gasped, opened her eyes, saw Up holding her, and immediately began to sob harder. Up realized she was finally awake, and crushed her against his chest in relief. The pair didn't move for at least half an hour, when Taz's sobs slowed until she was quiet, but hiccupping softly.

"Taz, what happened? Why are you so sad?"

"De robotas, Up. De did not just have mi familia anymore. Dey had jou. Dey made me watch as dey tore jou apart. If dat ever happened, I would die too! Up, I really can't live without jou anymore."

Up just held her then, rubbing gentle circles on her back. Taz curled into him as much as she possibly could without being surgically attached. There they sat.

**TUPTUPTUPTUPTUPTUP**

_A few days later…_

Taz tried her hardest, she really did. But, to be totally honest, it wasn't always easy to be one of very few girls in the entire Academy. Especially now that Taz and Up were both teachers, they found themselves separated for most of the day. Up gave Taz endless strength and energy, but when they were apart it was liked someone had turned off a switch. The happiness was gone, replaced by a haze of gloom.

When Taz began at the academy, she was younger than most of the other intakes. So, now teaching at the very place she had so recently graduated from, she was the same age as many of her students (seeing as the Ambassador had assigned her to teach third-year ensigns).

Besides shriveled old Mrs. Figg (the lunch lady), the plump women who worked as assistants and secretaries to the Ambassador and other important men, and the middle-aged, unattractive, teacher-type ladies who were very strict with their classes and taught the real school subject like math and English, Taz was the only girl. She was obviously the only female who came close to attractive (and she surpassed attractive), making her the object of affection for the many, horny, almost-men that so often graced her classroom.

Up hated it, but tried to be understanding. Taz couldn't help it, and the boys surely wouldn't stop. Up should have felt lucky that he was the one she chose to devote _her_ love to. The only problem was…

He didn't.

He was severely jealous and, as a result, made every possible attempt at a public display of affection. He kissed her in the corridors between classes, sat nearly _on top_ of her at meals, and would come into her class during his free breaks to try and grope (in the best possible way) her while her students were distracted by their partner fight sessions. (Taz taught one-on-one combat, Up taught basic mission training.)

Taz originally understood and tolerated his insecurities, but after three weeks of the childishness she was fed up and had had enough. She told Up to meet her in the classroom fifteen minutes after her last class ended, where they would have a long talk.

The particular group of ensigns she had to deal with last block were some of the loudest, rowdiest, and (by all means) horniest students. She decided not to grace any of the typical sexual references made by the boy-men with responses. She struggled not to slap the cockiest of them all, Sebastian, when he raised his hand to answer her question.

"Okey, clase, who can tell me how to avoid getting taken advantage of in a one-on-one situation?"

Sebastian raised his hand. Stupidly, Taz called on him.

"You didn't mind getting taken advantage of when you were in Up's bed last night, did ya Tazzy?"

Taz could imagine it now, how she would just tackle him to the ground and beat the living shit out of him. That wiener jacket didn't deserve to be ignored. But Taz owed it to Up to _not_ get kicked out of the academy for assaulting a student.

So, through gritted teeth, Taz simply growled, "Sebastian. Inappropriate. See me after class."

He smirked back.

When class was finally over, after several less obnoxious innuendoes, Taz plopped down huffily in her desk chair. After talking to Sebastian, she would be free to deal with her own life. And _that_ was a relief. She called to Sebastian, who had simply remained in his seat.

"Jou. Get jourself over here _ahora_. I mean it."

Sebastian put away his communicator and sauntered up to Taz, who had by this time gotten up to stand in front of her desk. Sebastian moved slightly too close to her, facing her head on. She glanced quickly at the clock. Class had let out late, and now she only had two minutes until Up would arrive to talk to her.

Taz opened her mouth to scold Sebastian, but he moved another few inches closer to her. There were only about four inches between their faces now. Taz asked him to move back, but he simply smirked again and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"We both know you want me. And lucky for you, I want you too. So let's just get down to it then. Drop that old grandpa Up and be with me."

Sebastian stepped even closer. Their noses were touching, and he had effectively clamped Taz's hands to her sides, using a move she had taught them the same day(she expected bruises to form). She was stuck between the severely hard edge of the desk (she expected a bruise to form here too) and Sebastian's crotch, which had begun to grind against her. She shuddered angrily and prepared to yell, but Sebastian's lips had sealed themselves over her own, his tongue forcing its way into her mouth.

Taz finally broke her hands free and shoved him away, but she was too late. She felt filthy and disgusting and violated. She would have to ask Up if she could try to scald some of Sebastian's filth off of her body in the shower before they had their discussion. Thinking of Up made her smile just a tiny bit, imagining what would happen to Sebastian when she told Up what he had done. There had only been about four seconds since Sebastian's repulsive lips were being forced upon her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a single word, softly spoken from a good distance away.

"Taz…"

Up devastated and brokenhearted expression could only be seen for a second as he turned and ran from the door at the back of the lecture hall.

Taz's strangled sob tore from her chest, but she had enough composure to stay steady on her feet. Sebastian saw what he had done and grinned.

Taz lost it. She punched him as hard as she could in the face. She could feel the bones in his cheek shatter upon impact. Sebastian crumpled pathetically to the ground, clutching his severely broken jaw.

Taz spat on him. "Vete a la mierda, hijo de puta."

Then she turned agilely and sprinted through the lecture hall door, after her lost love.

**TUPTUPTUPTUPTUP**

**A/N: *hides under a rock* DON'T HATE ME! The story needed some angst. It was too bland! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW PLEASE!**

**Yay for Glee references… in case you can't tell I hate Sebastian. In all forms. That's why he's the bad guy!**

**I love you readers! 3**


	7. Panic and Backfiring Plans

**A/N: yay next chapter! I own nothing. ****WARNING***** SMUT AHEAD! IT IS MARKED OFF BY STARS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ IT. Don't like? Don't read. Happy smutting!**

**FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER lauralovesdec**

**TUPTUPTUPTUPTUP**

Taz was starting to panic.

She had looked everywhere for Up, and she still couldn't find him. The gym, the mess hall, every hallway, the space outside of the cooking classroom, her room, his room, the men's bathroom (awkward!), the ladies bathroom, and his room.

She finally ventured into her own room, plopping down on the edge of her bed and sighing very heavily. Taz buried her head in her hands and began to cry in earnest. She couldn't believe that fucking bastard Sebastian and his disgustingness. He ruined her relationship with the greatest man she had ever met!

Taz realized she still felt disgusting and violated, so she decided to scrub away as much as she could. She entered her adjoining bathroom and pulled open the glass door to her shower.

After at least half an hour of scrubbing until her skin stung, Taz finally felt clean. She had bruises on the backs of her legs from the desk and on her arms from his hands. She would talk to the Ambassador tomorrow and get him expelled.

But for now, she _had_ to find Up.

Lucky for Taz, she walked out the bathroom to find Up sitting on her bed. Unlucky for Taz, she thought she was alone. With her door being locked, and Up being the only one with voice recognition, Taz was sure of her solitude. In this attitude, she had forgone the use of a towel to cover up anything she did not want seen.

Up must've heard the shower, so looked expectantly at the bathroom door when it opened. The squeak the came from his mouth would have been funny in any other situation. He clapped his hand over his eyes. Taz exclaimed loudly and attempted to cover herself. She found a shirt of Up's to cover her and slid it on quickly. It was a little big on Up, so it nearly reached her knees. She quickly pulled on her underwear.

Taz reached out tentatively to pull Up's hand away from his eyes. She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, and sighed quietly.

"We should talk ahora."

Taz continued. "What jou saw was not de whole story. Listen to what I need to say. This… _hijo de puta_ was trying to take advantage. He was being inapropriado and I told him he needed to habla conmigo after de class finished. So he came down to my desk and insulted jou and held mis brazos and kissed me. Dat's when jou saw me. Jou ran before jou could watch me beat him to de ground. I have de bruises to show."

Taz thrust out her arm so Up could see the purple bruises on her forearms. His fingers glided over the skin and his expression slowly became one of unbridled fury. He leapt to his feet.

"I'm gonna murder that little bastard! He's not even gonna know what hit him!"

Taz grabbed his arm and pulled him back to the bed. He still fought, so she swug her small frame on top of his, pushing him onto his back to restrain him.

"_No._"

The tension in the room snapped as the pair realized their position. Taz's lips met Up's. Their kiss began slowly, languidly, but gradually built as their lips continued to stay connected. Up's lips, soft and tasting slightly of mint, broke away first. Taz and Up both gasped for air, breath coming in slight pants now.

Taz had decided, sometime while her lips were attached to Up, that she wanted to make him happy again. She wanted him to forget the drama of today and his stress over Sebastian. She wanted to try something they had never approached as a couple (something she had never approached _ever_). And Taz was in command. Always in command.

So when he broke the kiss so he could breathe, she dropped her head to his neck, kissing and sucking her way up to his ear. Her breathy whisper asked Up if he was okay with this. _How could he not be? He had the love of his life on top of him. He had only ever dreamed of this! (And believe me, he had dreamed about it plenty of times.)_

Taz pulled Up's shirt up over his head. His tanned chest was only lightly dusted with blondish hair, and his abs were glorious. Taz smirked slightly at the sight. The hair he _did_ have trailed off into a V near his hips, leading tantalizingly below the waistband of Ranger uniform pants.

As Taz continued to make her way down his chest, her mouth ghosted over a sensitive nipple. She could hear his loud breathing stutter and pause as his hips bucked upwards. A sort of growl escaped Up's mouth as Taz continued to work on the same spot, then moving over to the other nipple and treating it with just as much love.

Taz continued to kiss her way down his chest, exploring every part of him. She especially loved the foreign (but not unpleasant) sound that tore from his throat when she sucked hard enough on Up's hip to leave a small purplish mark.

Taz reached the top button of Up's dark gray pants and paused to glance at his face. His normally clear, blue, eyes were darkened with want and his lust-blown pupils nearly obscured any color from visibility. The puppy-like whine that came out of his mouth was all the confirmation she needed to continue.

Her fingers' desperation made it a struggle to undo the button, but finally she released it from its buttonhole, exhaling in relief. Taz pulled his pants off quickly and paused for a moment to admire the wet spot of precum already visible on his red plaid boxers. By the size of the bulge evident through said boxers, Up had no reason to be embarrassed.

Taz couldn't take any longer and palmed Up firmly through his boxers, shuddering at the feeling as he squirmed in pleasure. A low moan escaped his throat and his hips involuntarily bucked into her hand.

Taz's impatience triumphed further as she tore his boxers off. Finally she had Up, laying in front of her, the way she had dreamed about it. Both of their breaths were coming in pants now, simply from the excitement and pleasure of the moment.

Up shifted on the bed and whined uncomfortably. Taz then realized she had been staring for what would be considered an excessive amount of time. He coughed lightly and mumbled something so quickly that Taz couldn't understand what he was trying to say.

"Repite?"

"I—I—Hell, Taz. I haven't done this before. Ever."

"Está bien, Up. Me either."

Taz took the moment of silence to smile slightly and crush her lips to Up's again, sloppily and heatedly. His groan intensified.

Taz took a deep breath and sunk her mouth on to the head of Up's leaking cock. She knew she didn't want to choke, so she held his hips down as she hollowed her cheeks and sucked hard, alternating between the tight suction and soft wetness of her tongue against him.

Up was whimpering and squirming uncontrollably, his knuckles white as his fists twisted in the blankets of Taz's bed. Listening to Up fall apart was the hottest thing Taz had ever heard. Her own want for friction ignored so far, she began rutting against the bed.

Up's hands, which had finally found their way into Taz's mop of dark hair, tugged her up towards his mouth and she realized she was still clothed. Taz straddled Up as she pulled Up's shirt over her head and was left in the lacy black thong she had pulled out of her drawer. She tried to avoid wearing it, but she had obviously been in a rush.

His calloused thumbs slid across her chest and she gasped, involuntarily leaning into his touch. Pleasure coursed through her and she trembled. His talented hands continued until Taz was teetering on the edge of coming. She ground down on him, the friction making them both moan loudly. Good thing the rooms were fairly soundproof…

Up's tongue plunged into her mouth, and before she knew it she was yelling Up's name as she came. After a few minutes of collecting herself, Taz returned her attention to Up's cock, now leaking heavily. She hardly had to wrap her lips around him again for him to be coming harder than he ever had, seeing stars and nearly blacking out. She swallowed quickly, grimacing slightly at the bitter taste. But it was so much the _essence_ of Up, that she would gladly get used to it.

"I love you, Taz".

"I love jou tambien, Up."

They spent the rest of the night curled together, sharing an occasional kiss and basking in the happiness of each other's company. Maybe that not-so-secret kiss in the corridor had actually been a good thing…

Taz grinned as she realized Junior's plan to wreck their lives had backfired.

**TUPTUPTUPTUPTUP**

**A/N: Okay so there you go! That was my first smut, so I literally need reviews like air. Also, I basically have very few ideas left, so if anyone can send me prompts or ideas they want to see, DO ITTTTTTTT. **

**Thank you, my lovely readers. And more people are reviewing and adding me to story alerts/favorites! SO AMAZING. **

**On a completely separate note, I AM GOING TO SEE MY SECRET LOVER DARREN CRISS ON BROADWAY IN ONE WEEK AHHHHHHHHHHHHH.**


	8. More Panic of a Different Kind

**A/N: So its only been a million years since I updated, and I could not be more sorry: I had soooooooooo much stressful school stuff and I had no time and yeah. So Darren on Broadway was phenomenal and so was the Apocalyptour, and school is out for the summer, and here is your next chapter. Happy reading!**

Taz opened her eyes and smiled, remembering the fun she'd had the night before, then cursing as she realized both her and Up had classes to teach. She jumped up and pulled on her camouflaged pants and white tank top. She then climbed back on the bed and soundly kissed Up until he awoke.

"Well if that's how you're gonna wake me up everyday, then maybe I should oversleep more often…"

He laughed and swung his legs to the side, jumping out of bed. He retrieved his carelessly discarded Ranger uniform from the floor and tugged it on, lacing up his boots and walking out the door after Taz.

**TUPTUPTUPTUPTUPTUP**

Taz and Up were on opposite ends of the Academy today, as Up was in the classroom quad and Taz was having her class use the gym and combat rooms.

The teenagers could lift hundreds of pounds and eat their way through just as much food in the cafeteria, but none of the third-year ensigns were prepared for the alarm bells that began screaming through the Academy, along with flashing lights and a voice over the loudspeaker system repeating "_This is NOT a drill!"_

Taz snapped into action, grabbing the emergency zappers and handing one to each ensign. She grabbed one for herself and began the emergency protocol.

"Dis is not a drill. Dere is someting aqui dat would like to kill jou. If jou are afraid, suck it up and blow some bad guys apart. If jou are not afraid, dat's great. We've trained jou well. Now go kick some ass, and try not to die? It makes a mess for the rest of us to clean up. Vamonos!"

She yelled and charged out the door. The class followed her with serious faces. This was business.

**TUPTUPTUPTUPTUPTUP**

The hallways were scorched with zapper laser marks, and injured fighters covered the floors. Taz and the ensigns continued, some stopping to help injured friends or move someone to the side of the hallway. The group could hear rumbling and screaming and zappers _pewing_ ahead, along with a scraping, grinding, clanking sound—_robots._

Taz froze in panic, the color draining from her face and her fingers trembling. She could handle enemy humans, giant bugs, and the occasional alien, but no more robots. Even the thought of them gave her debilitating flashbacks that threatened her sanity. She jumped and almost blasted apart an ensign when he shook her arm and asked if she was okay. She grimaced and squared her shoulders before taking a deep breath and moving forward. The hallway opened into the lobby of the Academy, where the sight made the ensigns gasp. One poor ensign, Trevor, fainted for a moment as well.

Three huge robots the size of tractor-trailers creaked and whirred and snapped their claws as they tried to decimate the group of teachers, ensigns, and Rangers in between missions shooting zappers from the ground. Taz saw a brief flash of silver hair, but then it was gone and the panic set in again.

She charged straight into the fray, shooting at every part of the robots she could hit. She tried not to think about her past with robots, but every so often a painful flash of that day presented itself in her mind—her mother's voice, screaming for Taz to run and save herself; her father's crushed body lying in her path; running blindly from the explosions, tripping over family she was too late to save—and she tripped or misfired or almost got sliced apart.

Over an hour later, when everyone smelled like sweat and blood, and only one robot was left, an order rippled through the group for all surviving ensigns to leave the battle and meet in the cafeteria to prepare for the aftermath, leaving a group of the last seven experienced Rangers to handle the last robot, including Taz and Up.

Taz was exhausted, mentally and physically, but she ignored it and kept shooting. The robot was missing an arm and its main circuitry was sparking. It wouldn't be hard to finish it off now.

Just then, there was a surprised grunt of pain and a dull thud as someone fell to the ground. Taz whipped around, turning her back on the robot, to see Up sprawled on his back, grimacing, with Lieutenants Walker and Neville kneeling over him. Only three Rangers were now handling the robot, and apparently more were needed as the robot reached out its claw and clamped it around Taz's legs.

She screamed as the claw crushed her legs and writhed as the sparks from the short-circuiting robot burned her insides. Taz felt herself falling, falling, falling away from her colleagues as the world turned to black.

**A/N: Yay! More lovey fluff to come… I had to set a scene here! Reviews make me write faster! xx mrsDEC**


	9. The Aftermath

They had to keep Up away from Taz as the experienced Rangers carried her limp, burned, and broken body away from the destroyed robot carcasses.

Up was blind with the tears burning in his eyes and limping heavily from a robot buzz saw wound on his leg. He wasn't thinking clearly at the sight of his best friend, his lover, his _everything_ sprawled lifelessly on the hard tile of the lobby floor.

He threw himself over her and held on tightly, refusing to let go even though he was preventing the Rangers from taking Taz to the infirmary.

Eventually, Neville and Walker pulled him off and hauled him away from Taz, out of the lobby. Up fought the whole time, but the two lieutenants were stronger. They took him to his room and locked the door, sitting with him and keeping him there until his breathing returned to normal and he had calmed down enough to talk.

Even when he could speak, he was rambling in a panic. "We gotta go help her, men, she's hurt and she needs protection and she's mine and I need her to be okay, she's gotta be okay, is she gonna be okay? I need to see her, I can't stay here, where is she, where did they take her? Why won't you tell me anything? I need her to be okay. I need to see her, can we go now? Take me please! Deadwizardgoddamnit, _where is she_?"

Neville and Walker realized Up was still losing a lot of blood from his own wound, and that keeping him in his room would only add to his hysteria. They helped him limp to the infirmary, cautiously holding on to him in case he panicked again.

The receptionist shuddered when she saw Up's leg, shooing him directly into surgery.

Dr. Rosenthal cleaned up his leg and took a quick X-ray. He found that the buzz saw had cut deeply, tearing into the muscle and cracking Up's tibia, and that the wound had bled so much that Up would need a blood transfusion.

Up was anesthetized and the surgery began. Three hours later, Up awoke with a needle on the inside of his elbow, intense pain, and a heavily wrapped ace bandage on his lower leg. He just shut his eyes again and called for a nurse, who gave him a pill to take, erasing his pain.

Now that the pain was gone, Up was prepared to focus all his energy on Taz. He didn't even know if she was still alive, but the doctor wouldn't let him move yet, for fear that he would tear his stitches. He knew they would be dissolved by tomorrow morning, and that at least his cut would be gone, but he was lying in mental agony.

All he could think about was the image of Taz, bleeding and unconscious and so obviously in need of help. He had no one to blame in that moment but himself—_How could I let this happen to her? What kind of partner am I? Will she ever love me again? Will she be __**alive**__ to love me again?_

Up eventually fell asleep, and had to be woken four separate times because he was thrashing enough to further injure his leg. But he couldn't help it! The nightmare she was having seem so real and so terrifying vivid that it was like he was actually back in that moment, watching the robot attack Taz.

As a result, he woke up tired, with dark circles under his eyes. However, the pain he still felt had lessened tremendously, and he could walk using crutches now. Oh, the wonders of medicine. With the help of the nurses and the thought of Taz, Up struggled to his feet and was able to hobble himself across the room and a few doors down the hall before feeling dizzy.

He spent three hours getting the hang of the crutches until he could go the length of the hospital on them. Afterwards, feeling exhausted, he collapsed onto his hospital bed and fell asleep, too tired to think of Taz.

When he awoke the next morning he eased himself out of bed and crutched down the hall to the doctor's office. Dr. Rosenthal had said the previous afternoon that he and Up would discuss Taz and her recovery.

He knocked gently on the door, and it swung open to reveal a slightly cramped room with a desk, two chairs, a bookshelf, and four filing cabinets. The walls were blue like the ocean in an attempt to soothe the user of the room, but Up was only getting more anxious. He eased himself into the chair facing the doctor and waited for the worst.

Dr. Rosenthal pulled Taz's file from the cabinets and turned to Up. "Yes, well, it seems that Taz is still in critical condition, but she is stable for the moment. She's—"

"So you're saying she's alive? She'll live? She'll be okay?" Up interrupted. His head was spinning with relief.

The doctor nodded, and Up motioned for him to continue.

"She's broken both legs, and badly damaged the muscles and tendons. She will need to begin rehabilitation shortly after her recovery from the other injuries she suffered. She has mild burns on most of her body, but those should heal up shortly. She also got a concussion when she fell, so she needs to rest from that. She's severely bruised and lacerated in many places, especially below her waist, so we plan to keep her under sedation for at least another week in order to allow the healing of these injuries without added stress. She needs your support during her recovery. It is a long and grueling process, and it will likely be very painful for her, both physically and emotionally. "

Up nodded again. He wasn't sure he could still speak after hearing what Taz was going through.

Dr. Rosenthal gave him a pile of prescriptions to fill (some for himself and some for Taz) and read over Taz's exam record again.

"Oh, and I almost forgot. Luckily the robots only got her legs, so the baby should be alright. Good thing Taz isn't far along at all, only about three weeks, otherwise there could be some serious complications. That's the other reason to keep her sedated—it's better for the baby."

**A/N: Don't hate me. The next chapter will be half Up's reaction and half fluffy smut! I like writing hospital!Tup. A lot. Reviews are chapter fuel! Yay!**


	10. Date Night Oops

**A/N: I always forget, but I do not own ANYTHING. I love love love the response this is getting! SO sorry for making you wait, I've been super busy. I work with little kids, and I'm always so tired. It was my birthday on July 26****th****! I'm got my driver's permit! This is a longerish one to make up for my lameness. Anyways, ENJOY! There will be smut. It WILL be marked off this time, probably by words. **

Up was, for lack of a more accurate way to say it, freaking out. He had trouble responding or listening to the doctor, and he was shaking. Dr. Rosenthal noticed this and escorted him back to his room, blaming overexertion too soon after his injury. He ordered another day of hospital observation before sending Up back to his own room in the Academy.

Up grumbled at this; what he really needed was time to process this alone. No one else had to know yet. He didn't _want_ anyone else to know yet. He just needed to talk to Taz, and she wasn't there. She was in a coma for another week, and Up was alone with his thoughts.

Despite pleads from the hospital staff for Up to _rest_, he grabbed his crutches and began pacing (or crutching) the length of the hospital. Sitting in bed allowed his mind to run rampant. Pacing helped him think. But what was there to think about? There was nothing he could do, was there? Except waiting, he would have to do that. Up sighed, tired from three hours of crutching, and sank into his hospital bed, falling into a blissfully exhausted, dreamless sleep.

Up woke up relieved. He could go back to his room. He could think this over alone. He signed his discharge papers and nearly skipped out of the hospital wing.

Once in his room, the panic returned. He was going to be father. He was going to have a _kid_. He would be responsible for another living thing. _Holy shit._ This was a lot to think about.

But wait… what if she wanted an abortion? What if she didn't want Up around anymore? What if she puts the baby up for adoption? What if… _what if she doesn't wake up?_

Suddenly, Up got angry. _How could she know and not tell me? Unless… is it someone else's kid? _

Up shook his head violently. She wouldn't do that to him. She was better than that. She loved him. _Even if it was someone else's… I would be the best damn father that kid would ever know._

Up smiled a little, thinking of what he would do with this mystery kid. _Well, we'd read Harry Potter, and watch all the movies, and watch that spoof on it that Taz likes so much, and train together and kill robots together, and be a family. Just me, Taz, and… would it be a girl or a boy?_

Up didn't care, really. He would love either one! But knowing the name of the baby would sort out his head a little. He thought of some possibilities…

If it was a boy, Up was thinking Cedric, Tyler, or Mason.

If it was girl, Up liked Blake, Holly, or Bryn.

He couldn't call it any of those names _now_, though. He decided for now, he would just think of the baby as a question mark in his mind.

He was still overwhelmed and frankly a bit confused: _How did this happen?_ Okay, he knew how to make a baby. But when? The doctor said she was at about three weeks…

What happened three weeks ago? He thought back… _Oh. _

Up knew what happened three weeks ago.

**winkwinkwinkwinkwink (this is all a flashback now)**

Up and Taz had been officially dating for almost seven months now. They had been in love for a lot longer than that, though. Taz was starting to get a bit fed up with their dates. I mean, she loved Up and all, but they never _went_ anywhere when they were together. They watched Harry Potter and trained or worked out or went to the dining hall, but they never did anything date-like. Despite popular belief, Taz enjoyed getting dressed up. It reminded her of her cousins and her mamá, and made her feel older. She also just felt prettier and more confident. Beneath her "soldier Taz" persona, there was still "vulnerable Taz". Sometimes it still hurt when she remembered how the boys had taunted her for dressing the way she did and wanting to play with the boys, not the girls.

Anyway, she kept dropping hints that she might want to go on a _real _date until she flat-out booked a reservation at one of the three "fine dining" places close enough to reach by crossing the space bridge connecting the academy to the shopping complex, called the Centro.

Their reservation was for Vida, an upscale restaurant with dim lighting, good food, and an implied dress code.

Taz told Up to meet her at her room at seven pm, no later, no earlier. She banished him from her room for the three hours prior to their date, so she could get ready. When Up dragged himself back into his own room, he found an outfit already laid out for him: charcoal dress pants, a white collared shirt, and a red tie. He decided to put it on later, so it wouldn't wrinkle, and turned on the DVD player, settling in to watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets while he waited for seven o'clock to come.

Meanwhile, Taz stripped down and got in the shower, using the good-smelling shampoo and conditioner and scrubbing and shaving and climbing out refreshed and ready. She used the blow dryer to style her usually-bandanna-covered hair into an elegant updo, with shorter locks down, framing her face.

She applied eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadow, and blush, finishing it all off with bright red lipstick.

She slipped into her dress and pulled on a deadly pair of black heels, then stood up to look in the mirror. The one-shouldered red dress fit her perfectly, highlighting her petite figure. The ruffles started near her collarbone and cascaded down to the floor. Taz's eyes filled up with tears as she examined herself in the mirror. _Mamá would be so proud of me. She always wanted to see me in un vestido. _

It was 6:55 and Taz was ready to go. She looked in the mirror again. _Damn, I look bonita! Dis one's for jou, mamá._

The knock on the door pulled Taz away from the mirror. She sniffed and wiped away her tears, then swung the door open. Up stood there, looking handsome as ever in the outfit she picked.

When he saw Taz, his mouth dropped open and he stuttered.

"You look—but then—wow."

Taz blushed and ducked her head a little. "Its still _me,_ jou idiota."

Up continued to stare. "Yeah, but you're so… damn."

Taz blushed further as Up approached to give her a kiss. Rather than the chaste smooch she was expecting, Taz received a kiss that was hot, heavy, and full of lust. She responded eagerly, standing on her tiptoes to press their lips together and allowing Up to plunge his tongue into her mouth so it tangled with her own. This lasted four or five minutes, but Taz finally had to pull away, straighten her hair out, and wipe the lipstick off of Up so they could make their dinner reservation.

Up whined and tried to kiss her again, but she put up her hand. "Despues. Not ahora. Okay?"

He nodded like a reprimanded child and followed Taz out of her room and down across the space bridge to Vida. The man at the host's desk looked Taz over approvingly, but backed off after Up sort of growled at him.

Their table was tucked away in a dim corner, making their dinner very intimate and cozy. Up still couldn't keep his hands off Taz, and eventually she threatened that they would have to leave if he couldn't behave. He grinned and replied.

"Well, what if I _want _to leave with you?"

She blushed and began eating a little quicker than before. The entire trip to Vida was a whirlwind, and soon Taz found herself in Up's room, pressed against his locked door with lips against her neck.

**SMUTBEGINSHERESMUTBEGINSHERE … pretty sexual so watch out.**

She groaned as he sucked on her pulse point, leaving a small purplish circle behind. He continued to work his mouth over Taz's neck, and she shuddered as his teeth scraped gently over the purple mark. At the same time, Up had grabbed the zipper of the red dress and unzipped it, then slid the single shoulder strap off, letting the dress pool gracefully around Taz's feet. She started unbuttoning his shirt, then grew impatient, grabbing the edges and pulling hard. Buttons fell softly onto the floor, and Up's well-muscled chest was bare.

The black lace still separating their heated skin from contact was soon forgotten on the floor, and Taz's bare body lay feverishly against Up's. Their lips met again, their kiss full of lust. Up motioned to mouth his way down her body, but Taz was too eager, and rolled Up over onto his back, straddling him. He groaned in anticipation, and then moaned louder as Taz gripped his cock and slid her hand up and down the shaft a few times, ensuring that he was hard and ready for her.

Without her noticing, Up had managed to move his hand toward Taz's clit, and circled it with his index finger and thumb. Taz gasped, and barely had time to react further as he pushed two fingers inside of her. Her eyes nearly rolled back into her head as Up scissored his fingers, stretching her out. Taz yelled out as she came, clenching hard around Up's fingers, her muscles shaking. Still coming down from her high, she recognized that up was still painfully hard, precum now leaking from the tip of his cock.

Taz opened the drawer to Up's bedside table and grabbed a foil packet out of it, tearing it open and rolling the condom carefully onto Up's cock. He squirmed in pleasure as Taz positioned herself over him, and yelled out as she began sinking down onto him. She hissed at a sharp pain, but it quickly dissolved into pleasure.

They began a rhythm so that Up's hips thrusted upwards and met Taz coming down, making each movement as pleasurable as possible. Soon, Up could feel the familiar tightening low in his belly, and he thrusted once more before shouting out and squeezing his eyes shut, his muscles shaking. Taz soon followed, and the pair of them laid together, basking in the glow of their orgasms.

Up pulled out slowly, and Taz winced at the sudden emptiness and the slight pain he left behind. The condom that had been covering Up's sizeable cock was leaking cum, as it had broken inside Taz. She panicked for a moment, but reassured him that she was also on the pill, so they had nothing to be worried about.

**SMUTENDSHERESMUTENDSHERE… I told you it was pretty sexual. **

**(flashback also ends)**

_I guess we _did_ have something to be worried about,_ thought Up, still alone in his bedroom. He sighed.

Just one more week…

**A/N: So yeah. Smuttiness took me forever to write because I'm a newbie. Review please! **

**ONE MORE THING: You fabulous readers need to know that there is nooooooooo way I would get tired of this story or abandon it without telling you. I just don't have a lot of time… but I'm trying! Love you alllll!**


	11. Don't You Remember

**A/N: The amount of sorry I feel for not updating for pretty much the entire school year is just so much. I'm basically drowning in it. But school was really hard this year. I love you all for sticking with this. And I promise that there will definitely be more to come for this summer. LOVE YOU ALL. Xx mrsDEC**

YAYHERESTHENEXTCHAPTERFINALLY

For a week, Up did nothing. He sat in his room, he watched Harry Potter, he read about new Ranger battle techniques and equipment, he ate halfheartedly. He crutched around the ship and moped, waiting for Taz to wake up. He visited her in the hospital and bothered the doctors and held her limp hand and talked to her unconscious body in the hopes that she could hear him.

Finally, after the longest seven days of Up's life, the doctors gave Taz an injection to revive her. Up watched as she began to blink, breathe on her own, and move her fingers. He watched with bated breath as she lifted her head and raised herself into a sitting position.

Taz coughed weakly and winced, tenderly feeling her bruised ribs and chest. She blinked, her eyes remaining unfocused and her expression confused. She was in pain all over. Her head, her neck, her chest, her arms, and abdomen were all protesting with every movement, but she was alive.

Up exhaled a sigh of relief and grabbed Taz's hand. She turned to him, bewildered, and pulled her hand away.

"Who're you?"

Her voice was gravelly and rough and she looked genuinely confused. Up's relieved grin faded to uncertainty.

"Taz, sweetheart, I'm just so happy you're alive, I was so worried about ya and I know we got a long way to go but we'll do it together and we've got a lot to talk about with the baby and everything and well, gosh, I'm so relieved! I thought I'd lost ya…"

Taz's baffled expression hadn't shifted a bit. She studied Up with a furrowed brow.

"…Lo siento, señor, but I don't understand who jou are. And who is having a baby? What is going on?"

Taz looked to the doctor for help; she couldn't remember his name, but she figured he would help her the most now. She knew she could trust him.

"Doctor, what is going on? Who is dis man? What am I doing here?"

The doctor sighed, then replied, "Taz, you were attacked by a robot and you hit your head pretty hard. Your legs were crushed, but we operated soon enough to save them. You were pretty much hurt and bruised all over. The concussion and resulting memory loss is normal, if not expected, of someone with a head injury like yours."

Though the explanation was perfectly logical, the possibility that Taz couldn't remember Up's face, voice, or touch was tearing him apart. Up looked at the doctor and back at Taz. His voice was trembling as he spoke again.

"Doctor Rosenthal, when will she be back to normal? When will she remember everything again?"

The doctor cleared his throat. "With such a head injury, it can be hard to tell. It may be a few weeks, a few months, or she may never regain the memory she lost."

Panic was beginning to show in Up's eyes as he absorbed what the doctor was telling him. He looked desperately back at Taz and leaned toward her, once again grabbing her hand.

"Taz, it's me, it's Up, your best friend. Taz, come on, I know you couldn't forget me, please, I love you, _please_…"

Up's voice cracked and tears pricked in his eyes. Taz look uncomfortable and alarmed by his sudden show of emotion. _What was she supposed to remember? Why couldn't she remember? He seemed important… but she just didn't know who he was!_

It was disconcerting. Taz began to feel a panic similar to Up's own, and she listened as the heart and pulse monitors began beeping more frequently.

"I—I'm sorry, Up, I just don't know who jou are."

To hear his name roll off her lips sounding foreign and new to her was all he could take. Up collapsed against Taz with tears coursing down his face. As his shoulders shook and Taz was pinned underneath this man who she could not remember, the heart monitors went wild.

Doctor Rosenthal placed his hand gently on Up's arm and spoke quietly, but with a firm authority.

"Up, she needs to heal. You're making it more difficult for her by causing unnecessary stress. I think it would be best if you left for now. Go back to your room, get some sleep, take a shower, eat something. Try to collect yourself, and maybe come back in tomorrow to see how she's doing."

Up took a breath and lifted his head to look at the doctor with red eyes. He stood up, glanced back at Taz, and left the ward without speaking as the tears threatened to spill over once again.

YAYTHEREWASTHENEXTCHAPTERFINALLY(SORRY)

**A/N: I know it's been a while, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review! It makes me write faster **


End file.
